Reverse brain drain

Reverse brain drain refers to the process where human capital moves in reverse from a more developed country to a less develop country that is developing rapidly.

Reverse brain drain can occur when scientists or engineers migrate to a more developed country to learn in its universities, perform research, and/or gain working experience in areas where education and/or employment opportunities are limited in their home country, then returning to their home country after several years of experience to start a related business, teach in a university, or work for a multi-national in their home country.

Likewise, reverse brain drain can occur when foreign-born scientists or engineers migrate to a more developed county and then actively promote the practice of offshoring of high-tech service jobs and technology and knowledge transfers to their home countries as beneficial to their host country.

Likewise, reverse brain drain can occur when firms of developed countries train and outsourcing engineering, software, and/or product design to lower cost countries such countries as China, India and Russia in an effort to reduce cost or to forestall bankruptcy. Companies that contract with these foreign workers are, in effect, outsourcing their brains. In the short term, they may save money and boost profits. In the longer run, they outsource creativity and, gradually, erode their capacity to generate new products and services.

The problem of a reverse brain drain is exacerbated by the crisis in developed countries where not enough undergraduate students in engineering and science are seeking advanced degrees at the doctorate level leading to wide spread replacement of the native-born with foreign-born engineers and scientist in areas of greatest intellectual and economic interest to the developed country. This is a problem since Foreign-born from developing countries such as China or India are increasingly motivated to return to their home countries due to rapid economic growth, increasing living standards, and increasing opportunities in their home country.

ee also

* Brain drain